Doctors warn of dangers of allowing media access to reports in family court cases

Seventeen organisations that represent doctors, lawyers, social workers, and children have banded together to fight UK government plans to allow the media access to medical and welfare reports in family court cases.

The Interdisciplinary Alliance for Children says that the plans threaten doctor-patient confidentiality; may breach the United Nations convention on the rights of the child and the right to privacy in the European human rights convention; and threaten substantial further harm to children who are already at risk.

The government plans to unveil the changes in the Queen’s speech, which will announce forthcoming legislation, on 18 November. They are set …